IRVINE, Calif. – The #44 Pepperdine women’s tennis team earned its first win of the 2014 season, posting a 6-1 decision against #38 UC Irvine on the road. The Waves were dominant in singles, winning four of the six matches in straight sets.

The Anteaters (1-3) challenged the Waves in doubles. Both squads won a match, but Matea Cutura (Zagreb, Croatia/Gimnazija Birotehnika/DePaul) and Ale Granillo (Pachuca, Mexico/Instituto Hidalgo) edged Marivick Mamiit and Sarah Gong 6-4 to clinch the point from the No. 2 spot in the lineup.

Pepperdine (1-1) controlled the tempo in singles from the start, winning first sets on five of the six courts.

Yuki Chiang (Ojai, Calif./Campbell Hall HS) made her debut in the singles lineup with a dominant 6-0, 6-1 triumph over Kat Facey on court five.

Lorraine Guillermo (Walnut, Calif./Rowland HS) and Cutura also won in straight sets to give the Waves their third and fourth points.

At No. 3, Granillo handily won her first set against Gong 6-2 before finding herself in a close battle in set two. Tied 6-6 in the second, Granillo won the tiebreaker 10-8 and stopped the match from going to a deciding third frame.

Pepperdine’s final point of the day came courtesy of Michaela Capannolo (Melbourne, Australia/Genazzano FCJ College). The sophomore shut out Ali Facey 6-0 in set one before the Anteater took set two by a 6-3 tally.

Capannolo got back on track, however, with a solid performance in the 10-point tiebreaker and allowed only two points en route to the victory.

Pepperdine makes its 2014 debut at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center next Saturday, Feb. 8 with a 1 p.m. match vs. San Diego State.